Methods to generate a wiring schema

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to generating a wiring schema with more than one safety device sharing at least one test signal through one or more external terminal blocks when the number of terminals required by safety devices exceeds the number of available terminals of a safety controller. In an illustrative example, the method may include determining a total number of terminals A of safety devices to be connected to a safety evaluation device having a number of terminals B. If A is greater than B, the method may then include generating a wiring schema that one or more external terminal blocks may show indicia of electrical connections between an identified set of safety devices and a shared terminal of the safety evaluation device associated with that set. Various embodiments may advantageously expand a number of devices possible to be connected beyond a number of terminals.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer program product (CPP) comprising a program of instructions tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium wherein, when the instructions are executed on a processor, the processor causes operations to be performed to generate a wiring schema, the operations comprising:
 determine A i , a corresponding number of terminals for each safety device of N safety devices to be connected to a safety evaluation device, where i=(1, 2, 3, . . . , N); and, 
 detect B, a number of terminals of the safety evaluation device available to connect to the N safety devices, 
 wherein, 
 
       
         
           
             
               
                 A 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                         
                     
                     
                       i 
                       = 
                       1 
                     
                     N 
                   
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       A 
                       i 
                     
                     ) 
                   
                 
               
               ; 
             
           
         
       
       and,
 upon determining A is greater than B, then determine, by a second set of operations, at least one connection between the N safety devices and the safety evaluation device, wherein the second set of operations comprise:
 identify one or more sets of the N safety devices that are able to share a terminal of the safety evaluation device based upon test signal compatibility among the N safety devices; 
 for each of the identified one or more sets of the N safety devices, determine a shared terminal of the safety evaluation device connectable to an external terminal block; and, 
 generate a wiring schema, wherein, for each of the identified one or more sets, the external terminal block provides electrical connection between each of the safety devices in that set and the shared terminal of the safety evaluation device associated with that set. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The CPP of  claim 1 , further comprising: upon determining A is less than or equal to B, generate a wiring schema with each input of each of the N safety devices connecting to an independent terminal of the safety evaluation device. 
     
     
       3. The CPP of  claim 1 , wherein the wiring schema comprises, for each of the identified one or more sets, indicia of electrical connections between the external terminal block and the N safety devices. 
     
     
       4. The CPP of  claim 1 , further comprising: enable a sharing feature before identify one or more sets of the N safety devices that are able to share a terminal of the safety evaluation device. 
     
     
       5. The CPP of  claim 1 , further comprising: detect at least one type of safety device to be connected with the safety evaluation device. 
     
     
       6. The CPP of  claim 1 , wherein the number of terminals A i  and the number of terminals B are inputted by a user via a graphical user interface. 
     
     
       7. A computer program product (CPP) comprising a program of instructions tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium wherein, when the instructions are executed on a processor, the processor causes operations to be performed to generate a wiring schema, the operations comprising:
 receive a first data of a number of terminals A of N safety devices to be connected to a safety evaluation device; 
 receive a second data of a number of terminals B of the safety evaluation device available to connect to the N safety devices; 
 determine whether A is greater than B; and, 
 upon determining A is greater than B, then:
 identify at least one set of the N safety devices that is able to share a terminal of the safety evaluation device based upon test signal compatibility among the N safety devices; 
 for each of the identified at least one set of the N safety devices, determine a shared terminal of the safety evaluation device connectable to an external terminal block; and, 
 generate a wiring schema, wherein, for each of the identified at least one set, the external terminal block provides electrical connection between each of the safety devices in that set and the shared terminal of the safety evaluation device associated with that set. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The CPP of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise: upon determining A is less than or equal to B, generate a wiring schema with each terminal of each of the N safety devices connecting to an independent input of the safety evaluation device. 
     
     
       9. The CPP of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise: enable a sharing feature before identify one or more sets of the N safety devices that are able to share a terminal of the safety evaluation device. 
     
     
       10. The CPP of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise: detect at least one type of safety devices to be connected with the safety evaluation device. 
     
     
       11. The CPP of  claim 7 , wherein the safety evaluation device comprises a safety controller and two safety relays. 
     
     
       12. The CPP of  claim 7 , wherein the wiring schema comprises a wiring diagram. 
     
     
       13. The CPP of  claim 7 , wherein the wiring schema comprises a netlist. 
     
     
       14. The CPP of  claim 7 , wherein the wiring schema comprises at least one indicium of electrical connections between the external terminal block and the N safety devices. 
     
     
       15. The CPP of  claim 7 , wherein the first data and the second data are inputted by a user via a graphical user interface.